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Phys.org / Video game experiment reveals people value feeding their neighbors—even at a cost to themselves

For many people, the allure of video games is that they offer players a chance to enter a world very different from their own: everything from fighting dragons in a mythical realm to racing cars on an obstacle-filled roadway. ...

Jan 12, 2026 in Biology
Medical Xpress / Genetic obesity risk fails to predict short-term weight loss, study finds

Kanagawa University of Human Services-led researchers found short-term BMI reductions after an eight-to-12-week low-carbohydrate diet plus resistance-training program. BMI moved downward across the program while a derived ...

Jan 13, 2026 in Genetics
Phys.org / Crowd sensing for the environment: Citizen science and plant apps map how urbanization alters city soils and climate

Plants reflect urban climate and soil conditions with remarkable precision. Using more than 80 million observations from plant identification apps, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry have produced ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Earth
Medical Xpress / Rise of preterm births in US linked to poverty and race

Researchers at Boston Medical Center, working with colleagues at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health report that US preterm birth rates rose from 2011–2021 in households ...

Jan 11, 2026 in Obstetrics & gynaecology
Phys.org / How gender bias influences math education

Young children are more inclined to believe incorrect math information from men than accurate information from women, according to a Rutgers University–New Brunswick study published in the journal Developmental Science.

Jan 15, 2026 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Composing nanomaterials—open-source platform unites AI and automated synthesis

LMU researcher Professor Alexander Urban and his team have developed a tool that could revolutionize the design of new materials. Synthesizer is a platform that combines automated chemical synthesis, high-throughput characterization, ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Nanotechnology
Phys.org / Exploring metabolic noise opens new paths to better biomanufacturing

Much like humans, microbial organisms can be fickle in their productivity. One moment they're cranking out useful chemicals in vast fermentation tanks, metabolizing feed to make products from pharmaceuticals and supplements ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Scientist wins 'Environment Nobel' for shedding light on hidden fungal networks

Beneath the surface of forests, grasslands and farms across the world, vast fungal webs form underground trading systems to exchange nutrients with plant roots, acting as critical climate regulators as they draw down 13 billion ...

Jan 14, 2026 in Biology
Medical Xpress / How stress hormone receptors alter the brain and behavior: Zebrafish study provides insights

Stress, the body's natural response to different types of challenges and daily problems, is an inherently harmless state experienced by most people worldwide. While short-term stress is a common experience and can even be ...

Jan 11, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Phys.org / Fossils reveal 'latitudinal traps' that increased extinction risk for marine species

A new study led by researchers at the University of Oxford has shown that the shape and orientation of coastlines significantly influenced extinction patterns for animals living in the shallow oceans during the last 540 million ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology
Phys.org / Chemists determine structure of fuzzy coat that surrounds Tau proteins

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the clumping of proteins called Tau, which form tangled fibrils in the brain. The more severe the clumping, the more advanced the disease is.

Jan 14, 2026 in Chemistry
Phys.org / The sky's hidden ecosystem: Radar reveals an organized, living habitat

When people think about habitats on Earth, they likely picture forests, oceans or grasslands. Few think to look up. Yet the lower atmosphere, or troposphere, may be the largest habitat on the planet. A new study published ...

Jan 15, 2026 in Biology